Wartenn's Kingmaker

Character Backgrounds

Adventurers come from a variety of backgrounds. One may have been a scion of a privileged family, while another may have worked in his hours of training after a day’s work on the family farm. Not all characters were raised the same way, and so not every character should have the exact same skills. This optional rule tries to account for the role a character’s background.

Each background costs a Character Point at the time of character creation, with the exception of Commoner. After paying this cost, the character gains access to the skills listed under the background, and a number of ranks to invest within them. The first number of skill points is for non-humans. The number in parenthesis is the number of skill ranks a human character gets to spend on background skills. Background skill points are purchased on a 1 point for 1 rank basis, but the character does not get the +3 bonus for it being a class skill. No more than one rank may be placed in any Background skill. Having a Background also gives the PC bonus hit points. These hit points are not modified by the character’s Constitution bonus or penalty. The character adds the bonus hit points to his HP total.

The background skills are not treated as class skills for any future level (unless you take a class that has that skill as a class skill later). An aristocrat fighter does not get Sense Motive as a class skill for his future fighter levels, even if he put ranks into this background skill.

Background skills are taken and assigned before the character’s class skills are assigned. A 1st level character cannot exceed the normal skill rank maximums for his character level.
A character does not get to add his Int modifier to the number of skill points he receives from his background.

Backgrounds can only be selected at 1st level, and no character may ever have more than one background.

COMMONER
Commoners are from normal peasant or middle class families. They are the children of the shop keepers, farmers, and laborers of the world.Ability: Commoners have no unique advantages, aside from not costing a Character Point.Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).Skill Ranks: 4 (5)CP Cost: 0Bonus Hit Points: 4

EXPERT
Experts were raised to be skilled craftsmen, professionals, or scholars.Ability: Gain Skill Focus in any one skill of their choice.Skills: Experts choose any skills to be their background skills.Skill Ranks: 6 (7)CP Cost: 1Bonus Hit Points: 6